Process of separating metals from matte or ore.



No. 746,797. PATENTED DEC. 15, mos.v

v P. DANGKWARDT. PROCESS OF SEPARATING METALS PROM MATTE 0R ORB.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20v 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STAT Patented December 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL DANGKWARDT, OF DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No."74 6,797, dated December 15, 1903, Application filedilnne 20, 1903. Serial No. 162.339 (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL DANCKWARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deadwood, Lawrence county, South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of SeparatingMetals from Matte or Ore, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved process for treating matte'or ores of a similar coustitutionsuch as so lfid orsulfid-arsenid ores, commonly called pyrites-for the separation of the valuable metals. By my process these valuable metals-such as gold, silver, copper, lead, or nickel-are separated from the iron compounds with which they are as sociatcd, such compounds forming generally by far the largest part of the matte or ore.

Briefly'stated, theinvention consistsin mixing the matte or ore with a carbid or with carbid-forming materials and heating the mixture under the exclusion of air.

By carbid-forming materials I mean an oxid or carbonate of a metal forming a carbid and carbon in its raw statesuch, for instance, as coal or coke.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a furnace for carrying my invention into effect on line 1 1, Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a similar section on line 2 2, Fig. 3; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 2.

The furnace is composed of a fireproof base a, that supports four water-jackets 6, having water-inlet pipes c and outlet-pipes d. The furnace is further provided with a tap-hole b and a spout b above the lowest point of the slanting bottom a. Two opposite jackets b are perforated for the reception of insulated and movable inclined carbon blocks 6. The

top of the furnace is covered by a brick or ore if the percentage of metals is such as in the formula below. Afterv the introduction lead-iron matte carrying gold and silver. As

the proportion of gold and silver is usually insignificant, it may be omitted in the formula expressing the reaction which sets in when the current is turned on.

In carrying out my process I prefer to use carbid-forming materialst'. 0., lime and carhon-in place of ready carbids, as the carbid in stem nascendi gives better results. If expressed in two formulas, the reaction is as follows:

If written in one formula, it will be as follows:

It will be seen thatwith the above materials for one molecule of copper sulfid and one molecule of lead snlfid there are required two .molecules of carbid or the corresponding quantities of limestone and carbon, or if the materials are proportioned to that part of the sulfur contained in the charge which is to be united with the metal of the carbid or carbidforming materials in order to set free the copper and lead there is required for one atom of sulfur one atom of calcium corresponding to one molecule of the carbid. As the sulfur is the part that is to be transferred from the valuable metals to the carbid-forming metal, it is plain that with a matte consisting of subsulfidsfor instance, 011 8 and Fe S.there is required only half the amount of carbid-or carbid-formingmaterials. Ontheotherhand, with a higher sulfid ore-for instance, (JuS and FeS more carbid or carbid-forming material must be used. 7

The formulas above given refer only to a pure sulfid matte or ore; but it frequently occurs that mattes or ores contain considerable quantities of other elements which take the place of sulfur-mainly arsenic and antimony. The process with these materials is the same as above described, Here also the object is to remove the sulfur and arsenic or antimony only from the valuable metals, and consequently but such an amount of carbid or carbid-forming materials is to be added as is sufficient to take up the sulfur or the corresponding elements of the valuable-metal compounds.

While the process is going on there will run out of the furnace a metal or an alloy carrying the gold and silver of the matte or ore and a changed iron matte and calcium sulfid or arsenid, &c., with some slag formed by im purities of the charge. The metal or metals can be separated from the latterin any of the well-known methods, while a new charge is introduced at the top.

If instead of the lime and carbon a mixture of iron oxid or carbonate and carbon is used, which may be of ad vantage under certain conditions, the sulfur or arsenic, &c., will be taken up by the iron of the carbid thus formed. The product running from the furnace in this case is consequently only metal or metallic alloy and an increased quantity of sulfid of iron, with some slag. The reaction is the same as the carbid of iron, or the metal of the carbid-of-iron-forming materials will reduce the sulfids, arsenids, &c., of the valuable metals, but will not attack the iron sulfid of the matte or ore.

The advantages of this process are the cool top of the furnaces and the absence of fluedust, both factors saving metals, and, further,

'heating the metal sulfids and arsenids under the exclusion of air with such a quantity of a carbid of any metal as will reduce the sulfids and arsenids of the valuable metals to a metallic state, without reducing the iron sulfid contained in the metal sulfids, substantially as specified.

2. The process of separating valuable metals from metal sulfids and arsenids containing iron sulfid, which consists in mixing the latter with carbid-forming materials, heating the mixture to produce a carbid which in statu nascendt' will reduce the sulfids and arsenids of tbevaluable metals to a metallic state, without reducing the iron sulfids contained in the metal sulfids, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at Deadwood, Lawrence county, South Dakota, this 15th day of June, 1903.

A PAUL DANCKWARDT.

Witnesses:

G. W. INGLIS, R. N. OGDEN. 

